OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

30.40°S, 27.70°EAfrica/Maseru

Astronomical Twilight-14.5° (−12° to −18°)

19:34:50

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM8h 7m of true darkness · 10h 56m total night

DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset18:25

Civil Dusk18:49

Nautical19:19

Full Dark19:49

Nadir23:53

Dark Ends03:56

Nautical04:27

Civil Dawn04:56

Sunrise05:21

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE43.5°

DISTANCE380,068 km

Moonrise15:47

Moonset03:56

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX64% · Heavy Lunar Wash

Bright moonlight washes out deep sky targets. Focus on lunar craters and bright planets.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

59/100

Fair Stargazing

Partial haze or lunar wash. Bright clusters, double stars, and prominent planets remain well visible.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Africa/Maseru

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-12.0°	240°	Libra	04:57	11:48	18:33	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-73.7°	188°	Leo	02:14	07:45	13:12	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Optimal Visibility	0.3	35.5°	63°	Pisces	16:42	22:40	04:38	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-76.1°	154°	Cancer	01:49	07:08	12:29	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Rising / Setting	0.4	5.8°	249°	Libra	06:14	13:12	20:05	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-17.8°	76°	Taurus	21:01	02:11	07:21	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Optimal Visibility	7.8	42.3°	58°	Pisces	16:08	22:10	04:13	Telescope

TONIGHT'S VIEWING SCHEDULE

When & Where to Look Tonight

A simple guide to when each object is above your horizon. No astronomy chart reading required.

BEST TIMEHighest in your sky

The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES15:47

BEST TIME21:56N · 57° high

SETS03:56

Reaches about 57° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Heavy Lunar Wash.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:14

BEST TIME07:45N · 45° high

SETS13:12

Reaches about 45° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES16:42

BEST TIME22:40N · 58° high

SETS04:38

Reaches about 58° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES04:57

BEST TIME11:48N · 78° high

SETS18:33

Reaches about 78° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · Good height

RISES01:49

BEST TIME07:08N · 42° high

SETS12:29

Reaches about 42° above the horizon at its highest point.Distinctive crimson hue; polar ice cap discernible near opposition.

OBSERVING LOG & TARGET LIST

Tonight's Prime Deep-Sky Targets

0 / 6 targets logged tonight

M31 / NGC 224 · Andromeda

Andromeda Galaxy

Spiral Galaxy (2.5M ly)

Our galactic neighbor; visible as a ghostly oval smudge with dense radiant stellar core.

M45 · Taurus

The Pleiades (Seven Sisters)

Open Star Cluster

Breathtaking blue diamond cluster enshrouded in delicate interstellar reflection nebulosity.

M42 / NGC 1976 · Orion

Great Orion Nebula

Diffuse Emission Nebula

Star nursery harboring the brilliant Trapezium cluster with sprawling bat-wing filaments.

NGC 869 & NGC 884 · Perseus

The Double Cluster

Twin Open Clusters

Pair of spectacular shimmering jewel-boxes bursting with ruby supergiant stars.

M13 / NGC 6205 · Hercules

Great Globular Cluster in Hercules

Globular Cluster (300k stars)

Massive beehive of ancient stars packed tightly together into a blazing central ball.

M57 / NGC 6720 · Lyra

The Ring Nebula

Planetary Nebula

Delicate glowing smoke-ring left behind by a dying star 2,500 light-years away.